English
regimen
Regimen comes from Latin regimen ‘guidance, direction, government, rule’, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti ‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’, and ultimately from *h₃reǵ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-1‘to straighten’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réǵeti1‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*regō1reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregō1‘to rule’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregimen2‘guidance, direction, government, rule’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600regimen2
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500regimen2
- Englishearliest quotation 1828regimen2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin regimen
- 2 Wiktionary, English regimen
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1828, J. V. Douville, The Speaking French Grammar: “Active verbs express an action which an agent, called…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃reǵ-Wiktionary, Latin regimen‘to straighten’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃réǵetiWiktionary, Latin regimen‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*regōWiktionary, Latin regimenreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregōWiktionary, Latin regimen‘to rule’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEregimenWiktionary, English regimen‘guidance, direction, government, rule’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600regimenWiktionary, English regimen
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500regimenWiktionary, English regimen
- Englishearliest quotation 1828regimenWiktionary, English regimen. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1828, J. V. Douville, The Speaking French Grammar: “Active verbs express an action which an agent, called…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ‘to straighten’
right, real, rich, royal, correct, regular, rank, roy, radar, arrange, rack, rogue, rex, interrogation, raj, rake, dresser, rector, rani, regal, undress, regency, rajah, dressage, rhesus, eldritch, riel, derailleur, rectilinear, dirigible, interregnum, retch, 76 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti ‘to be straightening, to be setting upright’
through Proto-Italic *regō
resource, regional, ruler, directory, erectile, erectus, erector, 37 more
through Latin regō ‘to rule’
source, director, rule, direction, address, direct, dress, region, resurrection, regulate, erect, insurrection, rectify, regent, rectum, droit, rectification, dirge, incorrigible, irregularity, rectitude, recto, rectus, derecho, regula, corregidor, regio, 47 more
through Latin regimen ‘guidance, direction, government, rule’
Today it means
noun Orderly government; system of order; administration.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “regimen”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin regimen. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- / regimen